Winston-Salem, NC Waste Collection Schedule
Complete waste management schedule including trash pickup, recycling, bulk waste, and special collections for Winston-Salem.
Collection Zones & Pickup Days
Find your neighborhood to see your collection schedule
View Interactive Zone MapZone 1 - North/Northeast Winston-Salem
Neighborhoods:
- •Ardmore
- •Forest Hills
- •Reynolda Park
- •Buena Vista
- •Bolton
- •Brookstown
- •Old Town
- •North Highlands
- •Piedmont Park
- •Waughtown
- •Miller Park
- •Happy Hill Gardens
Zone 2 - East/Southeast Winston-Salem
Neighborhoods:
- •Eastway
- •East Winston
- •Cleveland Avenue
- •Belews Lake
- •Goler Heights
- •Kimberley Park
- •Southside
- •Happy Hills
- •Southeast Winston
- •Skyland
Zone 3 - West/Southwest Winston-Salem
Neighborhoods:
- •Old Sherwood Forest
- •New Sherwood Forest
- •West Highlands
- •Silas Creek
- •Peace Haven
- •Ashley Forest
- •Robinhood
- •Healy Drive
- •Easton
- •Polo Park
- •Country Club Estates
Zone 4 - Central/Downtown/South Winston-Salem
Neighborhoods:
- •Downtown Winston-Salem
- •Old Salem
- •West End
- •Washington Park
- •South Fork
- •Granville
- •Cleveland Park
- •Kimberly Park
- •Salem Lake
- •Southfork
- •Reynoldstown
- •Holly Avenue
Service Provider
municipalCity of Winston-Salem Sanitation Division
Bulk Waste Pickup
Accepted Items
- •Large furniture (sofas, chairs, tables, bed frames)
- •Mattresses and box springs
- •Appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves, dishwashers, water heaters)
- •Exercise equipment
- •Bicycles
- •Basketball goals (concrete bases must be removed)
- •Artificial Christmas trees over 6 feet (must be cut in half)
- •Wood furniture
- •Metal items
- •Carpets and rugs (rolled and tied)
- •Hot tubs (drained, with electrical components removed)
- •Electronics (TVs, computers, monitors)
Not Accepted
- •Hazardous waste (paint, chemicals, pesticides, oil)
- •Construction and demolition debris
- •Tires
- •Automobile parts or engines
- •Propane tanks
- •Concrete, bricks, rocks, or landscaping materials
- •Dirt, soil, or gravel
- •Batteries (take to HHW facility)
- •Regular trash or yard waste
- •Business waste
- •Contractor debris
- •Liquids of any kind
Bulky Item Collection runs annually from March 3 through September 5, 2025. Collection crews go through the city street by street. Residents receive a card in the mail with designated collection dates. Items must be at the curb by 6:00 AM on the first day of your collection week. Do not place items out more than 3 days in advance. Trucks come through each neighborhood only once during the designated week. Year-round alternative: drop off bulky items at Hanes Mill Road Landfill (free with permit for city residents).
Recycling Program
Accepted Materials
- •Glass bottles and jars (green, brown, and clear - remove caps)
- •Plastic bottles and jugs (#1 and #2 plastics with necks)
- •Metal cans (aluminum beverage cans, steel food cans)
- •Aluminum foil and pie tins
- •Paper products (office paper, writing paper)
- •Paper cartons (milk cartons, juice cartons, soup cartons)
- •Cardboard (corrugated cardboard - flattened, no larger than 3×3 feet)
- •Newspaper
- •Magazines and catalogs
Not Accepted
- •Plastic bags, plastic wrap, or plastic film
- •Styrofoam or foam containers
- •Plastic clamshells, containers, or food trays
- •Plastic cups, lids, or straws
- •Toys or plastic items
- •Glass dishes, drinking glasses, or window glass
- •Mirrors or ceramics
- •Pizza boxes or grease-contaminated cardboard
- •Hardback books
- •Shredded paper
- •Electronics
- •Batteries
- •Light bulbs
- •Yard waste
- •Food waste
- •Textiles or clothing
- •Hazardous materials
Winston-Salem uses a bi-weekly recycling schedule with "Red Week" and "Blue Week" designations. Residents receive one 96-gallon blue recycling cart at no charge. No sorting is required - all recyclables go in the same cart. Do NOT bag recyclables - place items loose in cart. Cardboard must be flattened and no larger than 3×3 feet. Keep cart lid closed. Place cart at curb by 7:00 AM on collection day. Use the Winston-Salem Collects app or Sanitation Service Finder tool to determine if you are on Red Week or Blue Week schedule. Contamination with non-recyclable items can result in the entire load being sent to landfill.
Holiday Schedule
Winston-Salem observes 10 holidays annually with collection schedule adjustments. When a holiday falls on a regular collection day, service is delayed by ONE DAY for that week only. For example, if your regular collection day is Tuesday and the holiday falls on Tuesday, your collection moves to Wednesday. All collections shift one day later for the remainder of that week. Friday collections move to Saturday during holiday weeks. Check the Winston-Salem Collects app, city website, or contact CityLink 311 for specific holiday schedules. The city typically observes: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day After Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
Important Information
Official Data Sources
- https://www.cityofws.org/568/Sanitation
- https://www.cityofws.org/597/Garbage-Collection
- https://www.cityofws.org/611/Recycling
- https://www.cityofws.org/637/What-Can-I-Recycle
- https://www.cityofws.org/645/Rollout-Recycling-Collection
- https://www.cityofws.org/587/Bulky-Items
- https://www.cityofws.org/659/Holiday-Schedule
- https://www.cityofws.org/1158/3RC-EnviroStation---Household-Hazardous-
- https://www.cityofws.org/1256/Solid-Waste-Disposal
- https://www.cityofws.org/1259/Landfill-Information
- https://www.cityofws.org/1334/Leaf-Yard-Waste-Disposal
- https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8843b84e721a4d758e2da027f1d70bea
- https://www.cityofws.org/DocumentCenter/View/31976/Red-Blue-Week-Holiday-Collection-Calendar-2025
- https://library.municode.com/nc/winston-salem/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIIICOOR_CH26GATR
- https://forsyth.cc/eap/solid_waste.aspx